Gideons International | Religion-wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Name The organization describes its link to the story of Gideon himself: "Gideon was a man who was willing to do exactly what God wanted him to do, regardless of his own judgment as to the plans or results. Humility, faith, and obedience were his great elements of character. This is the standard that The Gideons International is trying to establish in all its members, each man to be ready to do God's will at any time, at any place, and in any way that the Holy Spirit leads." In keeping with this symbolism, the symbol of the Gideons is a two-handled pitcher and torch, recalling Gideon's victory over the Midianites as described in Judges , Chapter 7. A copy of a Bible distributed by Gideons International. In addition to their well-known hotel-room Bibles, the Gideons also distribute Bibles to members of the military of various countries, to hospitals , nursing homes , prisons , and students .

A typical Gideon Bible or New Testament contains: a short preface; a pamphlet suggesting Bible verses that may be of assistance in various sorts of trouble; translations of John 3:16 into a variety of languages and scripts; the Bible text itself, without notes, references, or any other reference matter other than chapter and verse headings — this can either be the full Bible (typical of the copies placed in hotel rooms), or just the New Testament, Psalms , and Proverbs (typical of the copies handed out as gifts to individuals); a short description of Biblical salvation, with Biblical quotations, and a place for the reader to sign and date his confession of Jesus (this is especially common in the shorter editions the New Testament and Psalms). The Gideons principally use the King James Version for their Bibles. [2] The Gideons also distribute New King James Bibles and Testaments, which they refer to as "Modern English Version" (MEV) Bibles and Testaments. According to the Gideon Guidebook, these MEV Scriptures are used as a supplement to the KJV Bibles.

Typically, MEV Bibles are allowed to be distributed only when either the Bible purchaser or the recipient specifies a desire for a modern Bible. Colors of Testaments distributed The covers of the New Testaments distributed by the Gideons are color coded based on which groups they're meant for: Orange: for sidewalk distribution to middle/high school students Green: for college/university students Light blue: for distribution by the Auxiliary only Brown: personal worker's testaments (for individual witnessing by Gideons) Periwinkle: personal worker's testaments (for individual witnessing by the Auxiliary) Membership The Gideons draw their volunteer members from many (although not all) Christian denominations, as described in Article 3 of the Gideon Constitution: "Article 3.-Membership. "The membership shall consist of business and professional men, except cler­gymen, who believe in the Bible as the inspired Word of God, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of God, have received Him as their per­sonal Saviour, endeavor to follow Him in their daily life, and who are members in good standing of an evangelical or Protestant church, congregation or assembly.".

[3] Distribution of Bibles during school hours For several years, the South Iron R-1 School District in Missouri allowed Gideons International to distribute Bibles to fifth-grade students during class time. Americans United for Separation of Church and State brought suit against the school district, bringing an end to this practice. [4] In 2009, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis upheld a lower court ruling that found the South Iron district's distribution of Bibles to the schoolchildren in their classrooms was unconstitutional. But the court, in a unanimous decision, ruled that the district can enact a new policy permitting “any printed material” approved by the superintendent to be distributed outside classroom time [1] . Popular culture references The placement of Gideon Bibles in hotel rooms has made the Gideon Bible a frequent subject for comment in popular culture . Music Steve Goodman - Song - This Hotel Room Film In the 1996 film Mission: Impossible , Ethan Hunt stumbles upon a clue as to the identity of a corrupt agent when he notices that the Bible in his team's safe house is a Gideon's Bible from a hotel in another city.

When this clue is later revealed to the agent (played by Jon Voight ), he remarks, "They stamped it, didn't they? Those damn Gideons." In the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes , Marilyn Monroe sings "Bye, Bye, Baby" to her boyfriend before sailing. In the song, she promises "I'll be in my room alone, every post-meridian. And I'll be with my diary and that book by Mr. Gideon." In the film Memento , Leonard remarks that a Gideon Bible is in his night stand, and that he "reads it religiously." Television In " Back in the Red: Part III ", an episode of the British science fiction comedy series Red Dwarf , Arnold Rimmer and Dave Lister find a Gideon Bible in their prison cell. Lister, unaware of Gideons International, comments, "He [Gideon] follows me everywhere, that bloke! I was staying in a hotel once, he left his bible behind there, as well.

And two years later, another hotel, dozy git left it behind again!" [6] In " Fifteen Minutes of Shame ", an episode of the animated series Family Guy , the Griffin family has to stay in a motel , and Peter Griffin finds a Gideon Bible in the dresser. He begins to prance around the room holding the Bible open and saying in a silly voice, "Look at me! I'm a Christian ! I'm reading the Bible!" Computer Games In the adventure game Overseer from Access Software the main character Tex Murphy finds a Gideons bible in one of the rooms of the mansion of the main antagonist of the game. This is kind of a wordplay since the name of the said villain is J. Saint Gideon. Literature In " Good Omens " by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett , one of the Four Bikers of the Apocalypse finds a Gideon Bible in a motel while on the run from the law. In " A Tree Grows in Brooklyn " by Betty Smith , Francie's aunt Sissy obtains a copy of Gideon's Bible from a hotel room for her.

In " Joshua Then and Now " by Mordecai Richler , the title character's father Reuben Shapiro has a unique understanding of the bible based upon his days as a prize-fighter, when the only thing to do in the hotel room was read Gideon's Bible. Apollo 8 On Christmas Eve 1968, the astronauts of the Apollo 8 mission read from the first part of Genesis during a live television broadcast from lunar orbit. A Japanese correspondent staying at a Houston hotel while covering the mission called NASA Public Affairs to request a copy of the speech that the astronauts were reading. The Public Affairs official asked where he was staying and then told him that if he opened the desk drawer in his room he would find a book and that he should open it to page one. The reporter found the Gideon Bible and later reported that "NASA Public Affairs is very efficient - they had a mission transcript waiting in my hotel room." [7] Re: Has robby eve read Gideon's Bible?

- Google Groups Google Groups Jan 19, 2009 5:04 PM Posted in group: rec.music.artists.debbie-gibson Robby, you haven't ever seen a gideons bible in a motel room, before? A copy of a Bible distributed by Gideons International. Gideons International (also known as Gideon's Bible) is an evangelical Christian organization dedicated to distributing copies of the Bible in over 80 languages and more than 180 countries of the world to those who might not otherwise encounter it, most famously in hotel and motel rooms. The organization was founded in 1899 in Boscobel, Wisconsin as an early American parachurch organization dedicated to Christian evangelism. It began distributing free Bibles, the work it is chiefly known for, in 1908, when the first Bibles were placed in the rooms of the Superior Hotel in Superior, Montana. The organization describes its link to the story of Gideon thus: "Gideon was a man who was willing to do exactly what God wanted him to do, regardless of his own judgment as to the plans or results. Humility, faith, and obedience were his great elements of character.

This is the standard that The Gideons International is trying to establish in all its members, each man to be ready to do God's will at any time, at any place, and in any way that the Holy Spirit leads." In keeping with this symbolism, the symbol of the Gideons is a two handled pitcher and torch, recalling Gideon's victory over the Midianites as described in Judges, Chapter 7. In addition to their well-known hotel-room Bibles, the Gideons also distribute Bibles to members of the military of various countries, to hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and also to students.

A typical Gideon Bible or New Testament will contain: a short preface; an apparatus suggesting Bible verses which may be of assistance in various sorts of trouble; translations of John 3:16 into a variety of different languages and scripts; the Bible text itself (the New King James Version translation is currently favored), without notes, references, or any other reference matter other than chapter and verse headings â€" this can either be the full Bible (typical of the copies placed in hotel rooms with the expectation the copy will remain in that room, rather than be taken by any one guest), or just the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs (typical of the copies handed out as gifts to particular individuals); a short description of Biblical salvation, with Biblical quotations, and generally a place for the reader to sign and date his confession of Jesus (this is especially common in the shorter editions of just the New Testament and Psalms).

1 Types of Bibles distributed, 2 Membership, 3 Popular culture references 3.1 Music, 3.2 Film, 3.3 Television, 3.4 Apollo 8 , 4 Distribution of Bibles during school hours, 5 References, 6 External links [edit] Types of Bibles distributed In addition to their well-known hotel-room Bibles, the Gideons also distribute New Testaments (with Psalms and Proverbs) to members of the military of various countries, to hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and also to students.

The covers of their New Testaments are color coded based on which groups they're meant for: Orange: for sidewalk distribution to middle/high school students Green: College/University students Red: for in-school distribution to Middle/High school students Digital Camouflage/Desert Camouflage: Military Dark blue: Law Enforcement Personnel/Firefighters/EMTs White: Medical professionals (for distribution by the Auxiliary only) Light blue: (for distribution by the Auxiliary only) Brown: Personal worker's testaments (for individual witnessing by Gideons) Periwinkle: Personal worker's testaments (for individual witnessing by the Auxiliary) The Gideons draw their members (mostly volunteers) from many Christian denominations, but allow neither Catholics nor Mormons to participate. This fact has been mentioned in a surprising lawsuit involving a Mormon and Catholic family suing over school prayer. [1] [edit] Popular culture references The placement of Gideon Bibles in hotel rooms has made the Gideon Bible a frequent subject for comment in popular culture.

[edit] Music The Beatles â€" song â€" "Rocky Raccoon" Beulah â€" song â€" "Maroon Bible" Bill Hicks â€" comedy album â€" Rant in E-Minor, He speculates how Gideons operate and considers capturing and studying them as hobby. Clutch â€" song â€" "Profits of Doom" â€" "Genesis and Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, Gideon is knocking in your hotel while you slumber." Fall Out Boy â€" song â€" "XO" Frank Zappa â€" song â€" "Room Service" Jay Brannan - song - "Goddamned" Jethro Tull â€" song â€" "Locomotive Breath" John Cale â€" song â€" "Gideon's Bible" Manic Street Preachers â€" album â€" The Holy Bible. It included the lyrics "I know I believe in nothing but it is my nothing" and "All I preach is extinction".

Of the album title, Richey Edwards (lyricist) said "In every hotel in the world, the only constant is the Holy Bible." [2] My Morning Jacket â€" song â€" "Gideon" Pedro The Lion â€" song â€" "Rapture" State Radio â€" song â€" "Rash of Robberies" The Hold Steady â€" song â€" "Cattle and the Creeping Things" Jimmy Buffett â€" song â€" "This Hotel Room" [edit] Film In the 1996 film Mission: Impossible, Ethan Hunt stumbles upon a clue as to the identity of a corrupt agent when he notices that the Bible in his team's safe house is a Gideon's Bible from a hotel in another city. When this clue is later revealed to the agent (played by Jon Voight), he remarks, "They stamped it, didn't they? Those damn Gideons." In the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Marilyn Monroe sings "Bye, Bye, Baby" to her boyfriend before sailing. In the song, she promises "I'll be in my room alone, every post-meridian.

And I'll be with my diary and that book by Mr. Gideon." In the film Memento Leonard remarks that a Gideon Bible is in his night stand, and that he "reads it religiously." [edit] Television In "Back in the Red: Part III", an episode of the British science fiction comedy series Red Dwarf, Arnold Rimmer and Dave Lister find a Gideon Bible in their prison cell. Lister, unaware of Gideons International, comments, "He [Gideon] follows me everywhere, that bloke! I was staying in a hotel once, he left his bible behind there, as well. And two years later, another hotel, dozy git left it behind again!" [3] [edit] Apollo 8 On Christmas Eve 1968, the astronauts of the Apollo 8 mission read from the first part of Genesis during a live television broadcast from lunar orbit. A Japanese correspondent staying at a Houston hotel while covering the mission called NASA Public Affairs to request a copy of the speech that the astronauts were reading. The Public Affairs official asked where he was staying and then told him that if he opened the desk drawer in his room he would find a book and that he should open it to page one.

The reporter found the Gideon Bible and later reported that "NASA Public Affairs is very efficient - they had a mission transcript waiting in my hotel room."[4] [edit] Distribution of Bibles during school hours For several years, the South Iron R-1 School District in Missouri allowed Gideons International to distribute Bibles to fifth-grade students during class time. The ACLU brought suit against the school district and brought an end to this practice.[5] [edit] References ^ "How Could A Mormon Family Sue Over School Prayer?". Retrieved on 2008-08-15. ^ Green Day Community > Submit a Review ^ Naylor, Doug (1999). "Back In The Red, part 3 - Script v0.7". Red Dwarf. Retrieved on 2007-10-10. ^ "Missouri Public School Must Stop Distribution of Bibles To Fifth-Graders, AU Tells Court". Retrieved on 2008-09-05. [edit] External links Gideons International - Wikipedia, Photos and Videos Gideons International NEXT GO TO RESULTS [51 .. 100] WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE P.O.

Box 140800, Nashville, TN 37214-0800 Members 300,000+ Gideons and Auxiliary members (wives of Gideons) Key people .org Gideons International is an evangelical Christian association founded 1899 in Boscobel, Wisconsin . The Gideons' primary activity is distributing copies of the Bible free of charge. This Bible distribution is a global enterprise taking place in 200 countries, territories and possessions. The association's members focus on distributing complete Bibles, New Testaments , or portions thereof. These copies are printed in over 100 languages. The association is most widely known for its Scriptures placed in hotel and motel rooms. The Gideons also distribute to hospitals and other medical offices, schools and colleges as well as jails and prisons. The association takes its name from the Biblical figure Gideon , depicted in Judges 6 . The Gideons International has an international presence. Its members distribute Scriptures in many countries to people who cannot afford to purchase Scriptures on their own.

Gideons began distributing free Bibles, the endeavor for which they are chiefly known, in 1908, when the first Bibles were placed in the rooms of the Superior Hotel in Superior, Montana . Members of The Gideons International currently distribute over 80 million Scriptures annually, and the numbers are growing, especially in places like Brazil, India, and Asia. On average, more than two copies of the Bible are distributed per second through Gideons International. [1] In late April 2015, Gideons distributed their historic two billionth Scripture. The distribution of the first one billion Bibles and New Testaments by Gideon members spanned 93 years (1908 to 2001). The second billion was attained in less than 14 years (2002 to 2015). [2] The headquarters of Gideons International is in Nashville, Tennessee .

Contents History[ edit ] The interior of Room 19, Central House Hotel , Boscobel, Wisconsin , kept in the style it was in 1898 when the founders of the Gideons met there The association, an early American organization dedicated to Christian evangelism , was founded in 1899 at the YMCA in Janesville, Wisconsin by two traveling businessmen who met by chance when they shared a hotel room at the Central House Hotel in Boscobel, Wisconsin . [3] Of the three members at the original meeting, two continued with the distribution of the Bibles. [4] Gideons began distributing free Bibles, the work it is chiefly known for, in 1908, when the first Bibles were placed in the rooms of the Superior Hotel in Superior, Montana . [5] The organization describes its link to the story of Gideon : Gideon was a man who was willing to do exactly what God wanted him to do, regardless of his own judgment as to the plans or results. Humility, faith, and obedience were his great elements of character.

This is the standard that The Gideons International is trying to establish in all its members, each man to be ready to do God's will at any time, at any place, and in any way that the Holy Spirit leads.[ citation needed ] In keeping with this symbolism, the symbol of the Gideons is a two-handled pitcher and torch, recalling Gideon's victory over the Midianites as described in Judges , Chapter 7. In addition to their well-known hotel room Bibles, members of The Gideons International also distribute Bibles to members of the military of various countries, to hospitals , nursing homes , prisons , MPs and students . A typical Bible or New Testament from The Gideons International contains: a short preface; Light blue : for distribution by the Auxiliary only [7] Brown : for facilities distributions, (for witnessing in prisons and jails by Gideons) [7] Burgundy : personal worker's testaments (for individual witnessing by Gideons) [7] Periwinkle : personal worker's testaments (for individual witnessing by the Auxiliary) During World War II there were Military Issued New Testaments, brown for Army and blue for Navy distributed by the Gideons.

In addition to the Desert Camouflage and the Digital Camouflage, there are also Woodland Camouflage editions for the Military. [8] Distribution of Bibles during school hours[ edit ] A Gideon New Testament The distribution of Bibles on school grounds has been an issue because of the U.S. Supreme Court's interpretation of the Establishment Clause in the Constitution. Five Supreme Court cases discuss this issue: Everson , McCollum , Zorach , Engel , and Schempp . [9] In 2008, Americans United for Separation of Church and State brought suit against the South Iron R-1 School District in Missouri for allowing the Gideons to distribute Bibles during class time. [10] In 2009, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis upheld a lower court ruling that found the South Iron district's distribution of Bibles to the schoolchildren in their classrooms was unconstitutional.

An "attorney representing the South Iron School District in Annapolis, Mo., said the decision allows a new policy to finally be implemented, one that allows any group to hand out literature at the rural district, including information on how children can obtain Bibles." [11] [12] The Gideons International continues to contact youth in America through The Life Book, coordinating with churches and their youth to distribute copies of the Bible in high schools. [13] The Alliance Defending Freedom , as of 2013, maintains that there are "constitutionally permissible ways in which Gideons Bibles may be distributed" and attorneys Rory Gray and Jeremy Tedesco write that the Alliance Defending Freedom sent letters to 174 school districts in Kentucky, stating that "Federal caselaw overwhelmingly supports the decision to grant religious and non-religious community groups an equal opportunity to provide literature to willing students". [14] In early 2014, the "Gideons International again distributed Bibles at a public elementary school in Kentucky". [14] The tradition of Gideons handing out small New Testaments continues in many British secondary schools. Some schools have banned Gideons.

[15] Gideons International : Map (The Full Wiki) The Full Wiki Top rankings for Gideons International 4th Map showing all locations mentioned on Wikipedia article: A Gideon member placing a Bible in a motel room. Gideons International (also known as Gideon's Bible) is an evangelical Protestant organization dedicated to distributing copies of the Bible in over 80 languages and 190 countries of the world to those who might not otherwise encounter it, most famously in hotel and motel rooms. The organization was founded in 1899 in Boscobel, Wisconsin as an early American parachurch organization dedicated to Christian evangelism . It began distributing free Bibles, the work it is chiefly known for, in 1908, when the first Bibles were placed in the rooms of the Superior Hotel in Superior, Montana . Nearly 76.9 million Gideon Scriptures were given out in 2007. Close to 1.5 billion have been distributed since 1908.

Name The organization describes its link to the story of Gideon himself: "Gideon was a man who was willing to do exactly what God wanted him to do, regardless of his own judgment as to the plans or results. Humility, faith, and obedience were his great elements of character. This is the standard that The Gideons International is trying to establish in all its members, each man to be ready to do God's will at any time, at any place, and in any way that the Holy Spirit leads." In keeping with this symbolism, the symbol of the Gideons is a two-handled pitcher and torch, recalling Gideon's victory over the Midianites as described in Judges , Chapter 7. A copy of a Bible distributed by Gideons International. In addition to their well-known hotel-room Bibles, the Gideons also distribute Bibles to members of the military of various countries, to hospitals , nursing homes , prisons , and students .

A typical Gideon Bible or New Testament contains: a short preface; a pamphlet suggesting Bible verses that may be of assistance in various sorts of trouble; translations of John 3:16 into a variety of languages and scripts; the Bible text itself, without notes, references, or any other reference matter other than chapter and verse headings — this can either be the full Bible (typical of the copies placed in hotel rooms), or just the New Testament, Psalms , and Proverbs (typical of the copies handed out as gifts to individuals); a short description of Biblical salvation, with Biblical quotations, and a place for the reader to sign and date his confession of Jesus (this is especially common in the shorter editions the New Testament and Psalms). The Gideons principally use the King James Version for their Bibles.The Gideons also distribute New King James Bibles and Testaments, which they refer to as "Modern English Version" (MEV) Bibles and Testaments. According to the Gideon Guidebook, these MEV Scriptures are used as a supplement to the KJV Bibles.

Typically, MEV Bibles are allowed to be distributed only when either the Bible purchaser or the recipient specifies a desire for a modern Bible. Colors of Testaments distributed The covers of the New Testaments distributed by the Gideons are color coded based on which groups they're meant for: Orange: for sidewalk distribution to middle/high school students Green: for college/university students Light blue: for distribution by the Auxiliary only Brown: personal worker's testaments (for individual witnessing by Gideons) Periwinkle: personal worker's testaments (for individual witnessing by the Auxiliary) Membership The Gideons draw their volunteer members from many (although not all) Christian denominations, as described in Article 3 of the Gideon Constitution: "Article 3.-Membership. "The membership shall consist of business and professional men, except cler­gymen, who believe in the Bible as the inspired Word of God, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of God, have received Him as their per­sonal Saviour, endeavor to follow Him in their daily life, and who are members in good standing of an evangelical or Protestant church, congregation or assembly.".

Distribution of Bibles during school hours For several years, the South Iron R-1 School District in Missouri allowed Gideons International to distribute Bibles to fifth-grade students during class time. Americans United for Separation of Church and State brought suit against the school district, bringing an end to this practice. In 2009, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis upheld a lower court ruling that found the South Iron district's distribution of Bibles to the schoolchildren in their classrooms was unconstitutional. But the court, in a unanimous decision, ruled that the district can enact a new policy permitting “any printed material” approved by the superintendent to be distributed outside classroom time [45758] . Popular culture references The placement of Gideon Bibles in hotel rooms has made the Gideon Bible a frequent subject for comment in popular culture . Music Steve Goodman - Song - This Hotel Room Film In the 1996 film Mission: Impossible , Ethan Hunt stumbles upon a clue as to the identity of a corrupt agent when he notices that the Bible in his team's safe house is a Gideon's Bible from a hotel in another city.

When this clue is later revealed to the agent (played by Jon Voight ), he remarks, "They stamped it, didn't they? Those damn Gideons." In the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes , Marilyn Monroe sings "Bye, Bye, Baby" to her boyfriend before sailing. In the song, she promises "I'll be in my room alone, every post-meridian. And I'll be with my diary and that book by Mr. Gideon." In the film Memento , Leonard remarks that a Gideon Bible is in his night stand, and that he "reads it religiously." Television In " Back in the Red: Part III ", an episode of the British science fiction comedy series Red Dwarf , Arnold Rimmer and Dave Lister find a Gideon Bible in their prison cell. Lister, unaware of Gideons International, comments, "He [Gideon] follows me everywhere, that bloke! I was staying in a hotel once, he left his bible behind there, as well.

And two years later, another hotel, dozy git left it behind again!" In " Fifteen Minutes of Shame ", an episode of the animated series Family Guy , the Griffin family has to stay in a motel , and Peter Griffin finds a Gideon Bible in the dresser. He begins to prance around the room holding the Bible open and saying in a silly voice, "Look at me! I'm a Christian ! I'm reading the Bible!" Computer Games In the adventure game Overseer from Access Software the main character Tex Murphy finds a Gideons bible in one of the rooms of the mansion of the main antagonist of the game. This is kind of a wordplay since the name of the said villain is J. Saint Gideon. Literature In " Good Omens " by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett , one of the Four Bikers of the Apocalypse finds a Gideon Bible in a motel while on the run from the law. In " A Tree Grows in Brooklyn " by Betty Smith , Francie's aunt Sissy obtains a copy of Gideon's Bible from a hotel room for her.

In " Joshua Then and Now " by Mordecai Richler , the title character's father Reuben Shapiro has a unique understanding of the bible based upon his days as a prize-fighter, when the only thing to do in the hotel room was read Gideon's Bible. Apollo 8 On Christmas Eve 1968, the astronauts of the Apollo 8 mission read from the first part of Genesis during a live television broadcast from lunar orbit. A Japanese correspondent staying at a Houston hotel while covering the mission called NASA Public Affairs to request a copy of the speech that the astronauts were reading. The Public Affairs official asked where he was staying and then told him that if he opened the desk drawer in his room he would find a book and that he should open it to page one. The reporter found the Gideon Bible and later reported that "NASA Public Affairs is very efficient - they had a mission transcript waiting in my hotel room." References Klein, Peter. The Catholic Source Book, p. 146, Harcourt Religious Publishers, 2000. ISBN 0159506530 Gideon - definition - What is ? What is ?

Gideon definition : Gideon Gideon or Gedeon ( "Hewer" ), also named Jerubbaal ( "Baal will contend" ), was a military leader, judge and prophet whose calling and victory over the Midianites is recounted in the [ chapters 6 to 8] of the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible. Gideon was the son of Joash, from the Abiezrite clan in the tribe of Manasseh and lived in Ephra (Ophrah). As a leader of the Israelites, he won a decisive victory over a Midianite army despite a vast numerical disadvantage, leading a troop of 300 'valiant' men. ==Biblical narrative== As is the pattern throughout the Book of Judges, the Israelites again turned away from Yahweh after 40 years of peace brought by Deborah's victory over Canaan, and Midianites, Amalekites and other Bedouin peoples harry Israel for seven years. God chose Gideon, a young man from the tribe of Manasseh, to free the people of Israel and to condemn their idolatry.

The Angel of the Lord, or "the Lord’s angelic messenger" came "in the character ... of a traveller who sat down in the shade [of the terebinth tree] to enjoy a little refreshment and repose" and entered into conversation with Gideon. The narrative has echoes of the meeting between Abraham and the visitors who came to him in the terebinth trees of Mamre and promised Abraham and Sarah, in their old age, that they would have a son. The Angel of the Lord greeted Gideon: :The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!

Gideon requested proof of God's will by three miracles: firstly a sign from the Angel of the Lord, in which the angel appeared to Gideon and caused fire to shoot up out of a rock (Judges 6:11-22), and then two signs involving a fleece, performed on consecutive nights and the exact opposite of each other (Judges 6:36–40) On God's instruction, Gideon destroyed the town's altar to Baal and the symbol of the goddess Asherah beside it, receiving the byname of Jerubbaal from his father: :Therefore on that day he (Joash) called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar. He went on to send out messengers to gather together men from the tribes of Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, as well as his own tribe of Manasseh, in order to meet an armed force of the people of Midian and the Amalek that had crossed the Jordan River, and they encamped at the Well of Harod in the Valley of Jezreel.

But God informed Gideon that the men he had gathered were too many – with so many men, there would be reason for the Israelites to claim the victory as their own instead of acknowledging that God had saved them. God first instructed Gideon to send home those men who were afraid. Gideon invited any man who wanted to leave, to do so; 22,000 men returned home and 10,000 remained. Yet with the number, God told Gideon they were still too many and instructed him to bring them to the water and to keep only those who raised the water to their mouth, and while doing so, drank the water lapping it with their tongues as a dog laps. This amounted to 300 men (). During the night, God instructed Gideon to approach the Midianite camp. There, Gideon overheard a Midianite man tell a friend of a dream in which "a loaf of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian", causing their tent or camp to collapse. This was interpreted as meaning that God had given the Midianites over to Gideon.

Gideon returned to the Israelite camp and gave each of his men a trumpet (shofar) and a clay jar with a torch hidden inside. Divided into three companies, Gideon and the three hundred marched on the enemy camp. He instructed them to blow the trumpet, give a battle cry and light torches, simulating an attack by a large force. As they did so, the Midianite army fled (Judges 7:17–22). Gideon sent messengers ahead into Israel calling for the Ephraimites to pursue the retreating Midianites and two of their leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. Gideon and the three hundred pursued Zebah and Zalmunna, the two Midianite kings. When he had asked for provisions in his pursuit, the men of Succoth and Peniel refused and taunted Gideon. After capturing the two kings, Gideon punished the men of Succoth, and pulled down the tower of Peniel killing all the men there.

Gideon invited his eldest son, Jether, to slay Zebah and Zalmunna, but being still young at the time, he did not have the confidence to carry out his father's request, so Zebah and Zalmunna called on Gideon to perform the deed himself. Gideon then killed Zebah and Zalmunna as justice for the death of his brothers (Judges 8:19-21). The Israelites invited Gideon to become their king and to found a dynasty, but he refused, telling them that only God was their ruler (Judges 8:22-23). G. A. Cooke, writing in the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes the discontinuity between Ephraimite anger towards Gideon shown in Judges 8:1-3 and the proposition of kingship over [all] Israel, and therefore concludes that "these verses appear to come from a [secondary] source". Gideon went on to make an ephod out of the gold won in battle, which eventually caused the whole of Israel again to turn away from God yet again. Gideon had 70 sons from the many women he took as wives.

He also had a Shechemite concubine who bore him a son whom he named Abimelech (which means "my father is king") (Judges 8:31). There was peace in Israel for 40 years during the life of Gideon. As soon as Gideon died of old age, the Israelites again turned to worship the false god Baal-Berith and ignored the family of Gideon (Judges 8:33). ==Textual history== The text of Judges 6–8 is a composite narrative, combining Jahwist, Elohist and Deuteronomic sources, with further interpolations and editorial comments of the Second Temple period. Biblical scholarship has attempted to recognize a historical nucleus in the narrative, reflecting the struggle of the tribe of Manasseh with hostile Bedouins across the Jordan, along with "reminiscences of tribal jealousies on the part of Ephraim" in the early period of Hebrew settlement, later conflated with the religious context of connecting Yahweh with the shrine at Ophrah.

The core (Jahwist) narrative consists of Gideon wishing to avenge the death of his brothers, gathering 300 men of his own clan and pursuing the Midianite chiefs Zebah and Zalmunna, slaying them and consecrating an idol (ephod) made from the booty, which makes his city of Ophrah the seat of an Oracle and giving Gideon himself the status of a rich chief with a large harem (Judges 8 4:4-10a, 11-21, 24-27a, 29-32). ==Christian reception== In the New Testament, Gideon is mentioned in chapter 11 of the Epistle to the Hebrews as an example of a man of faith: :Time would fail me to tell of Gideon [and others] who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Gideon is regarded as a saint by the Eastern Orthodox/Eastern Catholic Churches.

He is also commemorated, together with the other righteous figures of the Old Testament, on the Sunday before Christmas (Fourth Sunday of Advent). He is commemorated as one of the Saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church on July 30. In the Protestant Reformation, the Gideon narrative was employed in polemics against the Catholic clergy. Hans von Rüte's Gideon (1540) parallels the removal of saints' relics from churches to Gideon's destruction of Baal's altar. Gideons International is an American organization dedicated to Christian evangelism, founded in 1899, dedicated to the distribution of free Bibles. The organization's logo represents a two-handled pitcher and torch, representing the implements used by Gideon to scare the Midianite army. ==Military references== Much like the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae, Gideon has become symbolic of military success of a small elite force against overwhelming numerical odds. The 12th-century Prefatio de Almaria invokes "the strength of Samson and the sword of Gideon" in the context of the Reconquista of Almería led by Ponce Giraldo de Cabrera (1147).

Benedikt Gletting (16th century) invokes the "Sword of Gideon" in a call for a pious and confident defense of the Old Swiss Confederacy against the threat of the Franco-Ottoman alliance. The Gideon narrative was invoked by Covenanter commander Archibald Strachan prior to Battle of Carbisdale (1650). The Gideon Force was a small British-led special force in the East African Campaign during World War II. ==See also== *Gideon (play) (1961) *Gideons International, an evangelical Christian association whose primary activity is distributing copies of the Bible free of charge ==References== Gideon or Gedeon also named Jerubbaal was a military leader, judge and prophet whose calling and victory over the Midianites is recounted in the chapters 6 ... Read through the Bible in a year using our Daily Bible Reading Calendar or by downloading the Gideon Bible App. + Read Now · Gideons International. GIDEON is the premier medical decision support web application and ebooks series covering infectious diseases and microbiology.

One day, a man named Gideon was threshing out wheat in a hidden place, when he saw an angel sitting-under an oak-tree. The angel said to him: "You are a ... Gideon's new single "Pulling Teeth" is out now! Don't miss them on this summer's Warped Tour. Follow Gideon: Gideon - The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. Because the power of. Clarence Earl Gideon was charged in Florida state court with a felony: having broken into and entered a poolroom with the intent to commit a misdemeanor ... "If an obscure Florida convict named Clarence Earl Gideon had not sat down in his prison cell . . . to write a letter to the Supreme Court . . . the vast machinery of ... Gideon is an interactive artificial consciousness (A.I.) used by Eobard Thawne. It was hidden in... Following is an excerpt from the member book of Priscilla Shirer's Bible study, Gideon: Your Weakness, God's Strength. Also, watch below as Priscilla discusses ... Has robby eve read Gideon's Bible?

- Google Groups Has robby eve read Gideon's Bible? Showing 1-5 of 5 messages > Just like rocky Raccoon did? > Great question, does anyone read the Gideon Bible. I know I don’t, because of two words, Hotel Sex. If you have not experienced I highly recommend it. There is nothing better the hotel sex. I’m just saying. On Jan 19, 1:56 pm, BillV2...@webtv.net (Quintiseneschal Hellpop) wrote: > Just like rocky Raccoon did? never heard of it. Robby, you haven't ever seen a gideons bible in a motel room, before? A copy of a Bible distributed by Gideons International. Gideons International (also known as Gideon's Bible) is an evangelical Christian organization dedicated to distributing copies of the Bible in over 80 languages and more than 180 countries of the world to those who might not otherwise encounter it, most famously in hotel and motel rooms. The organization was founded in 1899 in Boscobel, Wisconsin as an early American parachurch organization dedicated to Christian evangelism.

It began distributing free Bibles, the work it is chiefly known for, in 1908, when the first Bibles were placed in the rooms of the Superior Hotel in Superior, Montana. The organization describes its link to the story of Gideon thus: "Gideon was a man who was willing to do exactly what God wanted him to do, regardless of his own judgment as to the plans or results. Humility, faith, and obedience were his great elements of character. This is the standard that The Gideons International is trying to establish in all its members, each man to be ready to do God's will at any time, at any place, and in any way that the Holy Spirit leads." In keeping with this symbolism, the symbol of the Gideons is a two handled pitcher and torch, recalling Gideon's victory over the Midianites as described in Judges, Chapter 7. In addition to their well-known hotel-room Bibles, the Gideons also distribute Bibles to members of the military of various countries, to hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and also to students.

A typical Gideon Bible or New Testament will contain: a short preface; an apparatus suggesting Bible verses which may be of assistance in various sorts of trouble; translations of John 3:16 into a variety of different languages and scripts; the Bible text itself (the New King James Version translation is currently favored), without notes, references, or any other reference matter other than chapter and verse headings â€" this can either be the full Bible (typical of the copies placed in hotel rooms with the expectation the copy will remain in that room, rather than be taken by any one guest), or just the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs (typical of the copies handed out as gifts to particular individuals); a short description of Biblical salvation, with Biblical quotations, and generally a place for the reader to sign and date his confession of Jesus (this is especially common in the shorter editions of just the New Testament and Psalms).

1 Types of Bibles distributed, 2 Membership, 3 Popular culture references 3.1 Music, 3.2 Film, 3.3 Television, 3.4 Apollo 8 , 4 Distribution of Bibles during school hours, 5 References, 6 External links [edit] Types of Bibles distributed In addition to their well-known hotel-room Bibles, the Gideons also distribute New Testaments (with Psalms and Proverbs) to members of the military of various countries, to hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and also to students.

The covers of their New Testaments are color coded based on which groups they're meant for: Orange: for sidewalk distribution to middle/high school students Green: College/University students Red: for in-school distribution to Middle/High school students Digital Camouflage/Desert Camouflage: Military Dark blue: Law Enforcement Personnel/Firefighters/EMTs White: Medical professionals (for distribution by the Auxiliary only) Light blue: (for distribution by the Auxiliary only) Brown: Personal worker's testaments (for individual witnessing by Gideons) Periwinkle: Personal worker's testaments (for individual witnessing by the Auxiliary) The Gideons draw their members (mostly volunteers) from many Christian denominations, but allow neither Catholics nor Mormons to participate. This fact has been mentioned in a surprising lawsuit involving a Mormon and Catholic family suing over school prayer. [1] [edit] Popular culture references The placement of Gideon Bibles in hotel rooms has made the Gideon Bible a frequent subject for comment in popular culture.

[edit] Music The Beatles â€" song â€" "Rocky Raccoon" Beulah â€" song â€" "Maroon Bible" Bill Hicks â€" comedy album â€" Rant in E-Minor, He speculates how Gideons operate and considers capturing and studying them as hobby. Clutch â€" song â€" "Profits of Doom" â€" "Genesis and Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, Gideon is knocking in your hotel while you slumber." Fall Out Boy â€" song â€" "XO" Frank Zappa â€" song â€" "Room Service" Jay Brannan - song - "Goddamned" Jethro Tull â€" song â€" "Locomotive Breath" John Cale â€" song â€" "Gideon's Bible" Manic Street Preachers â€" album â€" The Holy Bible. It included the lyrics "I know I believe in nothing but it is my nothing" and "All I preach is extinction".

Of the album title, Richey Edwards (lyricist) said "In every hotel in the world, the only constant is the Holy Bible." [2] My Morning Jacket â€" song â€" "Gideon" Pedro The Lion â€" song â€" "Rapture" State Radio â€" song â€" "Rash of Robberies" The Hold Steady â€" song â€" "Cattle and the Creeping Things" Jimmy Buffett â€" song â€" "This Hotel Room" [edit] Film In the 1996 film Mission: Impossible, Ethan Hunt stumbles upon a clue as to the identity of a corrupt agent when he notices that the Bible in his team's safe house is a Gideon's Bible from a hotel in another city. When this clue is later revealed to the agent (played by Jon Voight), he remarks, "They stamped it, didn't they? Those damn Gideons." In the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Marilyn Monroe sings "Bye, Bye, Baby" to her boyfriend before sailing. In the song, she promises "I'll be in my room alone, every post-meridian.

And I'll be with my diary and that book by Mr. Gideon." In the film Memento Leonard remarks that a Gideon Bible is in his night stand, and that he "reads it religiously." [edit] Television In "Back in the Red: Part III", an episode of the British science fiction comedy series Red Dwarf, Arnold Rimmer and Dave Lister find a Gideon Bible in their prison cell. Lister, unaware of Gideons International, comments, "He [Gideon] follows me everywhere, that bloke! I was staying in a hotel once, he left his bible behind there, as well. And two years later, another hotel, dozy git left it behind again!" [3] [edit] Apollo 8 On Christmas Eve 1968, the astronauts of the Apollo 8 mission read from the first part of Genesis during a live television broadcast from lunar orbit. A Japanese correspondent staying at a Houston hotel while covering the mission called NASA Public Affairs to request a copy of the speech that the astronauts were reading. The Public Affairs official asked where he was staying and then told him that if he opened the desk drawer in his room he would find a book and that he should open it to page one.

The reporter found the Gideon Bible and later reported that "NASA Public Affairs is very efficient - they had a mission transcript waiting in my hotel room."[4] [edit] Distribution of Bibles during school hours For several years, the South Iron R-1 School District in Missouri allowed Gideons International to distribute Bibles to fifth-grade students during class time. The ACLU brought suit against the school district and brought an end to this practice.[5] [edit] References ^ "How Could A Mormon Family Sue Over School Prayer?". Retrieved on 2008-08-15. ^ Green Day Community > Submit a Review ^ Naylor, Doug (1999). "Back In The Red, part 3 - Script v0.7". Red Dwarf. Retrieved on 2007-10-10. ^ "Missouri Public School Must Stop Distribution of Bibles To Fifth-Graders, AU Tells Court". Retrieved on 2008-09-05. [edit] External links

Question: A two-handled pitcher and torch is the symbol of which religious organisation?
Answer: Gideons